James S. (James Smith) Findley

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on December 28, 1926, James Smith Findley became an American mammalogist whose career was closely tied to the study of mammals in the American Southwest. He later lived and worked in New Mexico and died in Corrales on May 20, 2018.

Findley was associated with the University of New Mexico, where he served as a biology professor and as director of the Museum of Southwestern Biology. Sources about his career describe him as an important teacher and mentor who trained many mammalogists while helping expand knowledge of Southwestern mammals.

He wrote and contributed to a number of natural history works, including The Natural History of New Mexican Mammals, and his publications are also listed by Project Gutenberg and other library catalogs. For audiobook listeners and nature readers, his work stands out for bringing careful scientific observation to the animals of New Mexico and the broader region.